The Cost of Legal Cannabis in the U.S and Canada

[CarolKing]

I want this to include medical too, if anyone has statistics.

For the week ended Friday, June 12, the spot price index for a pound of cannabis rose to $1,718, up about 4.4% from $1,646 a pound in the prior week. The futures price for December 2015 rose from $1,175 a pound last week to $1,250.


Half of the past week’s transactions fell in a range of $1,700 to $1,900 per pound, but the largest sales traded in the range of $1,400 to $1,700, according to the analysts at Cannabis Benchmarks. The asking price in Colorado averaged $1,930 a pound last week, nearly 12% higher than the settlement price. Colorado authorities arrested a dispensary employee last week for trying to sell 4.5 pounds of marijuana on the black market.

Out-of-state buyers pay more for cannabis sourced from Colorado, while in Washington, the only other state to permit recreational use of marijuana, the black and gray markets tend to sell for lower prices, according to Cannabis Benchmarks:

Dozens of unlicensed medical dispensaries serve in-state patrons with lower prices by avoiding licensing fees and other expenses of legitimate businesses. Washington’s cannabis production has been creeping up steadily since February and has consistently outpaced sales.



Read more: Marijuana Prices Rise 5% to More Than $1,700 - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/consumer-produ...rices-rise-5-to-more-than-1700/#ixzz3cxgmeoeb

 

[His_Highness]

While I'm not thrilled to see the rise in price .... I would be thrilled if I could get it anywhere near that price....... Let alone have access to some of the different strains I see bantered about.

Oh the joys of living in a completely illegal state

 

[howie105]

Welcome to the consumer market where you can be charged whatever the market will support. One of the best ways to beat that is grow your own, that way you can meet your own requirements and help those who are in need with you extra harvest. Think of it as your own Victory Garden.

 

[CarolKing]

Sept 11, 2015
California
The volume weighted average price in California was $1,884 per pound, down 1% from $1,900 last week. There were fewer large (50+ pound) transactions reported, with the average deal size decreasing to less than 10 pounds.

Oregon
The volume weighted average price in Oregon was $1,841 per pound, up 2% from $1,802 per pound last week. Reported transactions ranged from $1,100 per pound to $2,225 per pound. A report released by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy provided a preliminary evaluation of I-502, the initiative that legalized cannabis for recreational use in Washington.

Washington
The volume weighted average price in Washington was $1,843 per pound, up 9% from $1,689 per pound last week. The largest volume transactions occurred at our around the $1,800 per pound price point, while the highest observed price was $2,400 per pound.

Colorado
The volume weighted average price in Colorado was $2,040 per pound, a decrease of 2% from last week’s price of $2,090. The reported week-on-week trading range narrowed to $750 per pound from $1,100 per pound last week.

Nevada prices averaged $2,643 per pound

Arizona prices averaged $2,430 per pound

Michigan average price increased 13% to $2,631 per pound. Ahead of the statewide initiative noted last week, the Detroit City Council may soon see a proposal to regulate medical cannabis dispensaries in Michigan’s largest city. There are currently dozens of dispensaries operating in Detroit, but as they are unregulated and unlicensed, the exact number is unknown.

Washington, D.C. was $2,770 per pound, a decrease of 8% from last week.

Black market prices averaged over $3,000 per pound in New York; in Wisconsin prices decreased 5% to $3,100 per pound.

I couldn't find stats on Alaska. If anyone has info let everyone know.

I will look for Canadian cannabis stats.

EDIT
This is from spring. I like the map so I will add even though they're old prices. This is what the average Joe pays for an ounce last May 2015. Cannabis on the East Coast is expensive.

All 50 States Ranked By The Cost Of Weed (Hint: Oregon Wins)

 

[biohacker]

It truly saddens me to see what you guys pay.... in Canada, it's about $160/oz on the low end up to maybe $280/oz on the higher end, with a good average being about $200/oz. Ofcourse these are in Canadian dollars, so roughly $150/oz USD for primo BC bud. Since my script is for 2g/day I personally spend about $100cdn/week for a 1/2oz, and it's always top shelf AAA+.

Concentrates/shatter etc are about $50/gram.

 

[HomeFree]

Prices are all over the map here for ounces but you can definitely find great buds in that price region in California from experience and Colorado as well from what I have seen.

Many clubs here want cannabis for less than 1K for a pound. I see offers ranging from $700-900.

 

[biohacker]

Depending on the election results this fall (GO Trudeau, STOP Harper) Canada could be soon looking at full federal legalization. Although this sounds good, i'm not so sure.... I have already seen prices skyrocket with the revamped MMJ program that only allows purchase from Licensed Producers. There is still a grey compassionate club area which is being settled in the courts.

 

[Baked55]

Wow I'm up here in Canada too and I couldn't believe the difference in price. Especially considering they are in USD. I assumed that the prices would be pretty much the same or cheaper (at least in the more liberal states). I am also very interested to see how it all plays out following the elections, tho hoping the prices don't just skyrocket

 

[1DMF]

Current UK street price for a pound of skunk is @ $4,200. or @ $290 an ounce, with 'pot luck' quality!

 

[Gunky]

Keep in mind that in the case of legal weed in the U.S. there are two prices: 1) what a legal dispensary will pay a grower for a pound of flowers and 2) what the dispensary charges its customers for a pound. Wholesale and retail. The two tend to get mixed up in the discussion here.

I suspect this is part of the reason people imagine growing is so lucrative. They think if a grower grows a pound of flowers @$240/oz that's $3840, wowee. Nope, the grower gets less than half of that. If he is doing that every month his electricity bill is maybe $400/mo or more. As for selling it yourself at retail or somewhat below retail price, somebody with a great network of friends could manage to sell quite a bit once in a while, but not 16 ounces, once a month (at least not in CA, which is awash in shit)! So for example our hypothetical grower by daily watering, tending, pruning, staking, tying, harvesting trimming, yada yada tons of work - manages to grow a lb a month. For this a dispensary pays him $1900 (we'll forget taxes for now). Subtract electricity and he has $1500. Subtract misc costs of bulbs, fertilizer, breakage, etc and now he is down to clearing $1200/mo (this is somewhat optimistic). Not exactly leather couches and living large! Prices are actually rather low considering the costs of production.

 

[CarolKing]

I believe the prices above that I found online (map) I assume have averaged the prices. Prices for legal and illegal were averaged together.

It depends a lot the area where you buy. The area that I live it's about $200 for an ounce at a dispensary it's a little more at the rec stores.

It's cheaper when I go to the Cannabis Med Farmers market, that even depends on the vendor. I can get an ounce for $180 of fantastic quality. Some vendors are selling for $6 and $7 a gram. I can get an ounce of leftover shake for $50. I have 3 ounces of Shake I'm going to make canna coconut oil that I bought at the market, it's Hindu Kush.

EDIT
Some rec stores are $15 a gram depending on quality. Some advertise $10 grams, I haven't checked that out yet. I see a couple billboards advertising it. Prices are very inconsistent in WA

The rec stores in Vacouver WA will be in compitition with OR state stores come Oct. 1. Hopefully making prices come down everywhere in WA. I might need to go on a road trip to OR.

 

[CarolKing]

Submissions
Bellevue, Washington $60 an eighth high quality November 1, 2015
Tacoma, Washington $10 a gram medium quality November 1, 2015
Olympia, Washington $10 a gram high quality October 31, 2015
Olympia, Washington $150 an ounce high quality October 31, 2015
Olympia, Washington $100 an ounce medium quality October 31, 2015
Longview, Washington $15 a gram high quality October 31, 2015
Kent, Washington $10 a gram high quality October 30, 2015
Spokane, Washington $60 a quarter medium quality October 29, 2015
Federal Way, Washington $50 a quarter medium quality October 29, 2015
Seattle, Washington $15 an eighth low quality October 29, 2015
Yakima, Washington $240 an ounce high quality October 27, 2015
Tacoma, Washington $160 an ounce high quality October 27, 2015
Kennewick, Washington $120 a half ounce medium quality October 27, 2015
Kennewick, Washington $180 an ounce medium quality October 27, 2015
Anacortes, Washington $100 a half ounce

 

[MinnBobber]

Here in Minnesota, with our crappy med cannabis program, there are only two manufacturers (duo-opoly) and no flowers so the product is all pills, liquids, oils. I read a recent study that such products, on a cost per mg of THC basis) are 4x to 5X the cost of flowers.

Some patients with a heavy need are paying over $2000/ month. The initial reg fee is a whopping $200.
And many Dr's are not even signing up patients, IMO because they are fearful of being involved with a Schedule 1 substance.

So, only about 500 people are enrolled.
Ours program is a costly disaster.

C'mon rec cannabis, that's our only savior.

 

[seaofgreens]

Honestly, if a patients need was over $2000/month there is really no reason not to grow your own. If for some reason you want to argue that the process is too labor intensive, for that expense, you could hire someone like myself (but not me, I'm set.) to literally come purchase/set your equipment up, grow your meds for you, harvest/cure it and maybe even pack your stem/bowl/whatever for you all day long...

Shit.

edit: to stay relevant

In CO, fairly easy to find a $120 oz. Don't buy myself, and am out of the dispensary price loop, but that's what all those I know who are in the game are selling at right now. B to A- quality imo.

 

[MinnBobber]

Honestly, if a patients need was over $2000/month there is really no reason not to grow your own. If for some reason you want to argue that the process is too labor intensive, for that expense, you could hire someone like myself (but not me, I'm set.) to literally come purchase/set your equipment up, grow your meds for you, harvest/cure it and maybe even pack your stem/bowl/whatever for you all day long...

....................................................
I'll hire you----my own cannabis valet

Our new law also prohibits home grows---have to buy from the duo-opoly
Could they have crafted a worse law??

 

[CarolKing]

This is from Apr 2017-From High Times
Market Analysis: All indices, with the exception of the Southern Index, finished May below their previous month’s average. The Western Index dropped for the third straight month, falling to just $253 an ounce. The Southern Index jumped $10 from its April average, raising its year- to-date average to a whopping $359 an ounce.

CURRENT US PRICE INDEX: $329 (Last Month: $332, Year-to-Date: $328)
CURRENT EASTERN INDEX: $355 ($360, $352)
CURRENT SOUTHERN INDEX: $367 ($357, $359)
CURRENT WESTERN INDEX: $253 ($268, $268)

It took me a while to find this thread, I knew it was somewhere? Some useful info.

 

[vapingupman]

[QUOTE =“CarolKing，post：1153135，member：16359”]

这是从2017年4月 - 从高时代
市场分析：除南方指数外，所有指数均比上月平均水平上涨五个月。西方指数连续第三个跌幅，跌至每盎司253美元。南方指数从4月份的平均水平上涨了10美元，将年均涨幅提高至每盎司359美元。

当前美国价格指数：$ 329（上个月：$ 332，年初至今：$ 328）
当前价格指数：$ 355（$ 360，$ 352）
当前南方指数：367美元（357美元，359美元）
当前西餐指数：$ 253（$ 268，$ 268）

我花了一段时间找到这个线程，我知道这是在某个地方吗？一些有用的信息。[/ QUOT
不得不说，差异真的很棒.

 

[gangababa]

The little I know is the scene around town (legal state) where the street-side sight of a sign waving person advertising a nearby business is not unusual, unless the waved sign says "...$100 dollar ounces...".

Competition between walk-in recreational stores (and perhaps growers) are pushing prices of pot flower down. Five-dollar grams are advertised in the papers (news and rolled).

Stores are popping up all over, some within doors of each other.
Two to the block or two blocks apart and hardly a square foot of warehouse to be had; here the capitalist green-rush has made marijuana mundane.

"Look there! a new pot shop is coming"
Many there are, these places to buy 'sin'
Will all survive beyond the 'grand-opening'
Wondering, when will the closings begin?"